OF THE ARROW-HEADED CHARACTER. 521 
modern alphabetic capital letters, to find the 
most distinct ocular demonstration of the truth of 
what I have brought to light. 
Thus have I endeavoured to lay before my 
readers the progress of an investigation which has 
afforded me very high gratification; and I trust 
I have made myself sufficiently understood as to 
enable any one who may take a similar interest in 
such subjects to refer to the objects to which I 
have alluded, namely, the Babylonian, Greek and 
Roman antiquities in the British Museum, or in 
any other similar institution in which such inte- 
resting objects exist. Having given the key to 
their form as to the Babylonian or arrow-head 
origin, it becomes at once evident, and any ancient 
or even modern inscription, will supply the most 
satisfactory and substantial evidence. 
I have never in any of my investigations in 
the etymology of forms, found an instance which 
so perfectly embodies the principles of such 
interesting researches. ‘To be thus able to trace 
through upwards of 4000 successive years the 
origin, rise, and progress of the form of such 
mighty yet beautifully simple agents of civilization 
as that of our alphabetic characters, commencing 
3.U 
